Monuments to Eisenhower and other presidents

March 19, 2013

National Archives/Getty Images

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Architect Henry Bacon modeled the memorial after ancient Greek temples, calling for it to be 190 feet long, 119 feet wide and almost 100 feet high, surrounded by 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the thirty six states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Similarly to the later National World War II memorial, some objected that the building was too ostentatious for a man of Lincoln's humble character, and proposed a simple log cabin shrine. The location also drew criticism, for being too swampy or inaccessible. This photo is from the memorial's dedication, in 1922.

National Archives/Getty Images

19of38

Architect Henry Bacon modeled the memorial after ancient Greek temples, calling for it to be 190 feet long, 119 feet wide and almost 100 feet high, surrounded by 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the thirty six states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Similarly to the later National World War II memorial, some objected that the building was too ostentatious for a man of Lincoln's humble character, and proposed a simple log cabin shrine. The location also drew criticism, for being too swampy or inaccessible. This photo is from the memorial's dedication, in 1922.